A common glass composition for making continuous high-strength glass fiber strands is “S-Glass.” The term S-Glass defines a family of glasses composed primarily of the oxides of magnesium, aluminum, and silicon with a chemical composition that produces glass fibers having a higher mechanical strength than E-Glass fibers. The chemical composition of the S-glass family produces high strength glass fiber and enables these glasses to be used in high strength applications such as ballistic armor. ASTM International defines S-Glass as family of glasses composed primarily of the oxides of magnesium, aluminum, and silicon with a certified chemical composition which conforms to an applicable material specification and which produces high mechanical strength (D578-05). The Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) defines S-Glass as an aluminosilicate glass without added CaO and having a partial mass of MgO where MgO is about 10% by weight (An alumino-silicate glass is defined as a glass which consists largely of aluminum trioxide and silicon dioxide and other oxides) (DIN 1259-1).
R-Glass is another family of high strength, high modulus glasses that is typically formed into fibers for use in aerospace composite applications. The R-Glass family is primarily composed of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, and calcium oxide with a chemical composition that produces glass fibers with a higher mechanical strength than S-Glass fibers. R-Glass generally contains less silica and greater calcium oxide (CaO) than S-Glass which requires higher melting and processing temperatures during fiber forming.
Tables IA-IE set forth the compositions for a number of conventional high strength glass compositions.
TABLE I-ARUSSIANChineseCONTINUOUSNITTOBONITTOBOHighROVING“T”“T”StrengthMAGNESIUMGlassGlass FabricConstituentglassALUMINOSILICATEFabric “B”(Yarn) “C”SiO255.0855.8164.5864.64CaO0.330.380.440.40Al2O325.2223.7824.4424.57B2O31.850.030.03MgO15.9615.089.959.92Na2O0.120.0630.080.09Fluorine0.030.0340.037TiO20.0232.330.0190.018Fe2O31.10.3880.1870.180K2O0.0390.560.0070.010ZrO20.0070.15Cr2O30.0110.0030.003Li2O1.63CeO2
TABLE I-BNittoNittoVetrotex SaintBosekiBosekiNitto Boseki TEGobain SR GlassPolotskA&PNT6030Glass RST-Stratifils SR CGSTEKLOVOLOKNOConstituentYarnYarn220PA-535CS250 P109High Strength GlassSiO265.5164.6064.2063.9058.64CaO0.440.580.630.260.61Al2O324.0624.6025.1024.4025.41B2O30.04MgO9.739.909.9010.0014.18Na2O0.040.060.0200.0390.05Fluorine0.070.02TiO20.0160.0000.0000.2100.624Fe2O30.0670.0790.0830.5200.253K2O0.0200.0200.0200.5400.35ZrO20.079Cr2O30.00100.0010.023Li2OCeO2
TABLE I-CChineseAdvancedHighGlassChinese HighStrengthYarnsStrength YarnGlassZentron S-2SOLAIS GlassConstituent(8 micron)RovingGlass RovingSampleSiO255.2255.4964.7464.81CaO0.730.290.140.55Al2O324.4224.8824.7024.51B2O33.463.520.02MgO12.4612.2810.249.35Na2O0.1040.060.170.16Fluorine0.070.02TiO20.320.360.0150.04Fe2O30.9800.9300.0450.238K2O0.2400.1500.0050.03ZrO2Cr2O30.00500.007Li2O0.590.63CeO21.231.25
TABLE I-DAdvancedIVGIVGIVG VertexGlassVertexVertexOutsideYarnsCulimetaB96Glass#1 GlassConstituentS GlassRoving675 YarnRovingRovingSiO264.6159.3758.3458.5858.12CaO0.170.270.310.300.31Al2O324.8425.4923.8124.2624.09B2O30.040.05MgO10.1113.4714.9915.0215.36Na2O0.1180.0240.050.020.03Fluorine0.030.040.040.04TiO20.0110.5301.3800.670.91Fe2O30.0420.3740.3330.3360.303K2O0.480.420.280.29ZrO20.1520.1290.1650.157Cr2O30.00500.01200.01000.01200.0120Li2OCeO2
TABLE I-EIVG VertexRH CG250 P109Outside #2Glass FiberConstituentGlass RovingStrandSiO258.6958.54CaO0.299.35Al2O324.325.39B2O3MgO15.066.15Na2O0.030.10Fluorine0.040.16TiO20.640.008Fe2O30.3310.069K2O0.360.14ZrO20.1870.006Cr2O30.0130Li2OCeO2
Typical R-Glass and S-Glass are generally produced by melting the constituents of the compositions in a platinum lined melting container. The costs of forming R-Glass and S-Glass fibers are dramatically higher than E-Glass fibers due to the cost of producing the fibers in such melters. Thus, there is a need in the art for methods of forming glass compositions useful in the formation of high performance glass fibers in a more cost-effective process.